Periculum and Lexus Kody could not be separated on the wire in the $277,778 Caesars Trotting Classic (Grade 2), presented by Kountry Lane Standardbreds, which highlighted the stakes-laden card at Harrah’s Hoosier Park on Friday, Sept. 19.
Due to a late scratch of Chapercraz at the inside, Periculum moved into post two as the 3-5 favourite with Scott Zeron driving while Lexus Kody moved into post six as the 7-5 second choice with Yannick Gingras aboard.
The action was intense early as Ponda Jet (Kyle Wilfong) rocketed out to the lead and raced inside of a parked and pressing Hillexotic (Austin Hanners) through a wicked opening quarter of :26. Hillexotic briefly cleared before Ponda Jet was back out for more and raced back to the top through a blistering opening half of :53.3.
Gingras wheeled Lexus Kody first-over from fourth entering the final turn with Periculum quickly finding the Gingras helmet as Lexus Kody marched to the outside of Ponda Jet through three-quarters in 1:22.2.
Lexus Kody powered to the lead turning for home, racing 2-1/2 lengths clear midway though the lane with Periculum still in hot pursuit. Strides began to shorten on Lexus Kody and Periculum found his best stride late, with a hard-charging French Wine (Jason Bartlett) coming from the backfield to make it a three-across battle. In the end, Lexus Kody and Periculum hit the wire together to dead-heat for the victory in 1:51.1, a half-length in front of French Wine, while Flagman (Rick Plano) finished fourth at 74-1 just 1-1/4 lengths back.
Periculum is trained by Marcus Melander, who has conditioned the six-year-old stallion son of Muscle Hill-Amour Heiress to four wins in eight starts this year, including the Arthur J. Cutler Memorial, Crawford Farms Trot and John Cashman Memorial. The double millionaire is owned by Brixton Medical of Matawan, New Jersey and Holly Lane Stud East of Vero Beach, Florida.
Lexus Kody is trained by Ron Burke and has now won eight of 17 races this season, including consecutive Grade 1 victories in the Maple Leaf Trot and MGM Yonkers International Trot ahead of the Caesars Trotting Classic. Owned by Pennsylvania's Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi and Phil Collura, the seven-year-old gelded son of Archangel-Lexus Helios went over $2 million in career earnings with his 34th victory.
Maximus Miki and Scott Zeron secured the win in the $249,306 Hoosier Park Pacing Derby by making a bold, three-wide backstretch move en route to a 1:47.4 score for trainer Tom Cancelliere.
Leaving from post seven, Maximus Miki was unable to find a seat on the first turn from eighth while his stablemate Ruthless Hanover (Andrew McCarthy) sped to the quarter on top in :25.4. Defending champion Little Rocket Man (Mike Oosting) blitzed to the lead briefly before Zeron tipped three-deep on the backstretch and charged from eighth to first at the half in :54.
Zeron kept the accelerator down once clear and rolling into the far turn, with Maximus Miki pacing two lengths clear of Little Rocket Man to three-quarters in 1:20.4.
Little Rocket Man closed the gap and tipped from the pocket, inching ever closer to Maximus Miki midway through the stretch. The two vets slugged it out in deep stretch, with Maximus Miki fending off Little Rocket Man by a quarter-length on the wire while a hard-charging Buzzsaw Russ (Dexter Dunn) closed within a half-length of the winner along the cones from well out of it to be third.
Fresh off his victory in the Canadian Pacing Derby, Maximus Miki has now won five of 11 starts on the year for owner John Cancelliere of Clark, New Jersey. A 26-time career winner, the six-year-old gelded son of Always B Miki-Beach Gal went over the million-dollar earnings plateau while taking a new lifetime mark.
Track records and win streaks highlight stakes undercard
At odds of 30-1, Nezuko Kamado S kicked off the night's Grand Circuit stakes action with a dead-game track record performance in the $360,833 Kentuckiana Stallion Management for two-year-old trotting fillies.
Scott Zeron wheeled the eventual longshot winner to the lead after an opening quarter of :26.4 around stablemate Creator (Dexter Dunn). After middle-half fractions of :55.3 and 1:24.4, Nezuko Kamado S was headed by Creator in the lane, before battling back to win by a half-length in a career-best 1:52.4 while Emmas Mystery CCL (Andy McCarthy) rallied for third.
The 1:52.4 clocking lowered the previous divisional track record of 1:53.1 established by R Melina in the same event in 2023.
Trained by Marcus Melander, the daughter of Chapter Seven-Zefira Kronos IT has won three of her six starts. The Courant Inc. homebred pushed her earnings over $300,000.
Whoomp rallied from well back in eighth at the top of the lane to win the $279,167 Kentuckiana Stallion Management for two-year-old pacing fillies.
Driver John De Long was unable to find a seat on the first turn in seventh while Imagine Heaven (Tyler Buter) took the field of 10 to the quarter in :26.3. The previously undefeated Somemore Blue (Marcus Miller) moved to the top at the half in :55 before taking the field to three-quarters in 1:23.2 with Whoomp still eighth and briefly rough-gaited around the turn. Once straightened away, the daughter of Rockin Image-Nightcap blitzed home in :26, gobbling up ground and surging to a 1-1/2-length victory in a career-best 1:51.1 over Ron Burke trainees Shicarri (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) and Tell It Like This (Trace Tetrick).
Roger Welch trains the William and Patrick De Long homebred, who is co-owned by Jesse De Long. Whoomp has won six of her 11 races and now boasts a bankroll topping a quarter of a million dollars.
Odds On Mr Mamba needed every bit of a :53.2 back half to chase down Melillo and extend his win streak to five in the $130,208 Elevation for two-year-old pacing colts.
Dexter Dunn floated 1-5 favourite Odds On Mr Mamba away in fourth while Melillo (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) motored to the quarter in :26.3 before slamming on the brakes to the half in :57.2. The action picked up with Melillo rolling to three-quarters in 1:25.3 while Odds On Mr Mamba was forced three-deep around the final turn and uncorked a :25.2 last quarter to speed by Melillo late and take the win by a half-length in 1:51.3. JK The Great (Marcus Miller) finished third, 6-3/4 lengths back.
Melanie Wrenn trains the Odds On Racing homebred son of Odds On Equuleus-Honky Tonk Woman who has won five of six while banking more than $200,000 in his young career.
The beat went on for the Ron Burke-trained On To Norway, as he steamrolled first-over to take the $125,000 Phil Langley Memorial for three-year-old trotting colts while extending his win streak to 15.
Driver John De Long hustled On To Norway to the front early, parked and pressing to the lead through a quarter of :27.1. Once clear, On To Norway released Variegated (Dexter Dunn) to the lead at the half in :55.2 before Operator (Kyle Wilfong) brushed to the top entering the far turn and forced De Long’s hand first-over at three-quarters in 1:24. Rolling home in :27.1, On To Norway put away a stubborn Operator late to win by 2-1/4 lengths in 1:51.2, while Variegated held for third.
The 1:51.2 clocking was a stakes record and matched his own track record shared with Amigo Volo for three-year-old trotting geldings.
On To Norway, a gelded son of Muscle Massive out of One Class Act, is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Frank Baldachino, Black And White Stable and Michael Rosenthal. The Indiana stakes star has racked up the bulk of his $426,043 career bankroll going 15-for-16 this year.
Dandy Ideal continued his tear as he extended his own win streak to eight with a front-end effort in the $156,250 Jennas Beach Boy for three-year-old pacing colts.
With regular reinsman Jason Bartlett into drive for trainer Hunter Oakes, Dandy Ideal got away third from the rail while Twisted Destiny (Dexter Dunn) paced to the quarter in :27. Bartlett wheeled the betting favourite to the top before the half of :55.3 and reached three-quarters in a well-rated 1:23.3. Rocketing home in :26, Dandy Ideal had just enough to fend off Twisted Destiny and Harrisburg Heist (Chris Page) by a neck in a three-across thriller in 1:49.3.
Susan Oakes, Thaddeus Wier and Alan Johnston own the millionaire American Ideal-OK Heavenly gelding, who is now eight-for-13 on the season with New York Sire Stakes, the Empire Breeders Classic and Max C. Hempt Memorial among his win streak.
In the $104,167 Carl Becker Memorial for three-year-old pacing fillies, Miss Fancy Nancy was a pocket-rocket winner and polished off a hat-trick on the evening for the leading driver/trainer combo of Trace Tetrick and Tyler George.
Miss Fancy Nancy secured the pocket behind the favoured Tarshish (Marcus Miller) through a first quarter of :26.4. The tempo slowed in the middle-half with fractions of :56 and 1:24.4. while Miss Fancy Nancy waited for clearance behind duelling leaders Tarshish and a first-over Angelatyourfeet (Jordan Ross). Once clear, Miss Fancy Nance split rivals with a :26.2 last quarter to win by 1-3/4 lengths over Tarshish and a late-rallying Canttouchthese (John De Long) in 1:51.3.
Owned by Tonya Nichols, Joe Sbrocco, VIP Internet Stable and Jaf Racing, Miss Fancy Nancy has won seven of her 12 races this year after two unsuccessful starts as a rookie. The daughter of JK Endofanera-Singit Like Aretha boosted her bankroll to $187,652.
Bravo Alpha brought the evening to a close, winning from the pocket in the $104,167 Madison County for two-year-old trotting colts with Tim Tetrick in the bike for the first time.
Bravo Alpha got away second from post two while Sunday Swagger (Kyle Wilfong) grabbed early control through a first quarter of :27. Bravo Alpha continued to stalk intently behind the pacesetter through middle-half fractions of :56.2 and 1:25.3 before Tetrick angled off the cones turning for home. Bravo Alpha put away a stubborn Sunday Swagger, who held for third, before fending off a late try by favoured Dan D Man Can (Atlee Bender) to win by a half-length in a career-best 1:55.1.
Doug Rideout trains the winning son of Fiftydallarbill-Life Dream Hanover who has won two times in a dozen starts while hitting the board a total of 10 times for owners Julie Rideout, Alan White, Dave Gamble and D&S Stable. Bravo Alpha pushed his earnings into six-figure territory with the victory.
The week of racing concludes at Hoosier Park on Saturday, Sept. 20 with a 13-race card slated to begin at 5:30 p.m.
(With files from Hoosier Park)